Busy waterfront industrial area with workers, vehicles, equipment, and buildings along a river bank at daytime.

Port-Sudan is a beautiful city in Eastern Sudan - an image that is rarely seen in the media. (Cleop6atra / Shutterstock.com)

10 Twitter Photos That Show Africa in a Positive Light

10 Jul 2015 | By Erica Jackson

A new Twitter campaign is highlighting the beauty and diversity of Africa with the hashtag #TheAfricaTheMediaNeverShowsYou.

Africa is a massive continent – it covers the same surface as 13 countries, including the USA, China, India and the whole of Eastern Europe! When the conversation turns to Africa, however, the whole continent is often lumped together, and the distinctions between the many diverse countries, languages and ethnic groups become blurred. Africa’s general reputation is that it is dry arid place with no water, food or education.
In an effort to break this stereotype, a social media campaign entitled #TheAfricaTheMediaNeverShowsYou is circulating photos of lush beautiful landscapes, trendy fashionistas, and female heads of state. The empowering initiative is gaining digital steam, with a growing collection of vibrant photos that provide a more balanced look at Africa’s rich diversity and prosperity.

The beautiful photos seen below are sourced from Twitter users who posted the hashtag#TheAfricaTheMediaNeverShowsYou.

1. A local trendsetter

Finding #TheAfricaTheMediaNeverShowsYou on Twitter: http://t.co/mVqfxT6HQV pic.twitter.com/nqDblEXOTl

— Fusion (@ThisIsFusion) June 29, 2015

2. Life in Ethiopia

#TheAfricaTheMediaNeverShowsYou Welcome to Ethiopia. pic.twitter.com/grb8NCwWcD

— Hebron (@Hebron_Girma) June 28, 2015

3. What’s for lunch in Kenya

Kuharibu Ugali ndo mnajua walahi “@KENYAPICS: #TheAfricaTheMediaNeverShowsYou #KenyanCuisine pic.twitter.com/3pA0hkVuXP“

— Dextrous. (@mainneli_) June 26, 2015

4. Lake Retba is Senegal’s pink lake

RT “@nyeusi_waasi: the Amazing pink lake in senegal #TheAfricaTheMediaNeverShowsYou pic.twitter.com/eB5Dxf4EYl“

— Sanyang Ba (@fsanyangba) June 25, 2015

5. African world leaders

—» “@Nadiaalie: Africa has 3 female heads of state. #TheAfricaTheMediaNeverShowsYou pic.twitter.com/Ho0Qdrmrho“

— Dark Chocolate (@niShellyO) June 27, 2015

6. Top couture fashion

“@yslprincess: African fashion is so original #TheAfricaTheMediaNeverShowsYou pic.twitter.com/MGC2u7XZdp” gorgeoussss

— Munchkin (@BSonblast) June 25, 2015

7. Technological advances

The international effort to build the world’s largest radio telescope in South Africa #TheAfricaTheMediaNeverShowsYou pic.twitter.com/MhycNoYkG7

— Tracy Angus-Hammond (@T2T_Trace) June 25, 2015

8. Flourishing greenery

#TheAfricaTheMediaNeverShowsYou lush green cities & sites Bahirdar #Ethiopia pic.twitter.com/lrnIIYgEXv

— Hellen Kassa (@Kassabeee) July 2, 2015

9. Africa has 29 exchanges, representing 38 nations’ capital markets

Africa’s stock exchanges. Top performing ’14? Malawi 16% growth #TheAfricaTheMediaNeverShowsYou #seeAfricadifferently pic.twitter.com/D2g7XDk9i8

— Tracy Angus-Hammond (@T2T_Trace) June 25, 2015

10. Diverse topography

Snow at the equator on top of Mt. Kenya. #TheAfricaTheMediaNeverShowsYou pic.twitter.com/XkTTuqlgbO

— KENYA PICS (@KENYAPICS) June 25, 2015